


A Beginning and A Judgment

by orphan_account



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Flashbacks, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-05
Updated: 2015-11-05
Packaged: 2018-04-30 04:27:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5150225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"... Chara. Only you know the story now."</p>
<p>As Frisk nears the end of their journey, they pass once again through New Home and hear the story of Asriel and the fallen child. But... what really happened on the worst day the Underground has ever known? And how will they be judged, when they meet someone else who remembers what they once did?</p>
<p>"Now. You will be judged for your every action."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>(A segment from a follow-up I'm working on to Aftertale. I'm probably not going to touch on the first one, but I feel like that Frisk's other two runs are worth delving into, particularly Chara's involvement. It's going to be probably a -long- time before either is ready to post though so I wanted to put this up as a stand-alone for now to see what others thought of it.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Beginning and A Judgment

Frisk sighed as leaves crinkled under their feet. Slowly, they raised their eyes to a small, cozy house whose like they had seen, not three times, but six, on their long, looping wanderings.

“New Home.” Frisk shook their head. “... Is he really as bad at naming things as everyone says?”

There was no answer. Frisk shrugged quietly, stepping inside the home. There was the chain across the stairs downward, just as it had been before. Idly, they wondered just why Asgore bothered putting something like that up. The note on the chain said exactly where the keys were, and invited anyone wanting to talk to the king to unlock it and come see him in the garden.

As they passed through the living room, the chair that was a mirror of Toriel's waiting for an occupant who had never returned, a pair of Froggits hopped up, as Frisk had known it would. They waited, politely, as they spoke. “A long time ago, a human fell into the Ruins. Injured by its fall, the human called out for help.” Frisk nodded. By now, they knew just what human they meant. Their message done, the frogs hopped to either side and vanished.

The kitchen was just as it had been before. Frisk scooped up the key and clipped it to their phone's ring, pausing over the trash basket. Crumpled papers filled it, all of them recipes. They shook their head. “... just couldn't get it right without her, could you...”

On the other side of the entryway, a long hall waited. Frisk stepped in, and stopped as another pair of monsters appeared, Whimsun this time. “Asriel, the king's son, heard the human's call,” they recited. “He brought the human back to the castle.”

In the hall, Frisk found the other key on a small table. The room beside it bore a placard reading “Room under Renovation”. They didn't need to go in, though. Days before, they had already seen what they knew would be inside.

However, instead of returning to the chain, Frisk pressed on to the end of the hall. In the place where they had seen the other room, there had been a sign here. Now, however, the room stood open, and Frisk passed quickly inside.

A truly massive bed took up a large portion of the room. King-sized, even. Frisk chuckled at the old joke. They made for the dresser, but something stopped them, for just a moment. Pausing at the tall wardrobe, they cracked the door open and peeked inside, and then smiled softly. “... I see,” they murmured, closing it quickly on the red-and-white winter garments.

The dresser held simple button-down garments that still seemed somehow relaxed despite their formal nature. Beneath them, however, was what Frisk had been looking for. A pink sweater that looked to be enormous even on Asgore's imposing frame, crude knitting in paler pink reading “Mr. Dad Guy”. Frisk smiled quietly as they looked over it. “... somehow, I don't think Asriel knitted this...”

Again, their words seemed to go unheeded. With a slight sigh, Frisk put everything back as it was and stepped out, glancing at the journal on the desk as they left. “Nice day today!” the open page proclaimed.

The chain was simple to unlock and set aside. Just beyond, three Moldsmal waited their turn. “Over time, Asriel and the human became like siblings. The king and queen treated the human child as their own. The underground was full of hope.”

“... hope?” The word floated, unbidden, in Frisk's mind. With a knowing smile, instead of heading down, Frisk returned to the hall. The first door, the one they had passed by. This time, they entered. A small room, familiar, but one of the few differences with Frisk's memory. Two beds, not one, both sized perfectly for a child Frisk's age. A single wardrobe, packed with shirts in brilliant green and shining yellow. Frisk stood, taking in the room around them. “... It would have been nice...”

There was no answer. Frisk moved to the smaller of the two beds. After a moment, they bent their knees, kneeling beside the bed and lowering their head.

“... you? Religious?”

The words were soft, barely there, but biting. Frisk smiled. “Respectful,” they corrected. “Someone died here. The first time, I didn't know. The second...” They left their words unfinished.

As they stood, however, something caught Frisk's eye. Careful fingers plucked a soft yellow object from between frame and mattress. The soft, floppy shape was familiar to them, and a hesitant sniff, the object's scent clinging weakly to it even after so much time, told Frisk what they needed to know.

“Your plan,” they said quietly, tightening their grip. When they opened their hand, only dust remained, scattering on the cavern's constant gentle breeze. “Why...?”

The voice was again silent. Frisk turned, shivering just slightly, and left the room. The two presents, one beside each bed, they left unopened. They belonged to their owners, owners who had lost their lives long, long ago, and Frisk had no desire to claim their contents. Instead, they walked quietly to the end of the hall. A mirror stood there, past even the last door, a single golden flower brightly sitting beside it. Frisk stared at their reflection for a long, pensive moment.

“... In spite of everything, it's still you.”

Frisk smiled, just a little, at that. Slowly, not entirely wanting to leave the cheery little house, they returned to the stairs, and finally made their way down.

At the foot of the stairs, a pair of bug-like Migosp stood at attention. Unlike normally when found with other monsters, the impressionable monsters spoke in turn. “Then... one day... The human became very ill.”

Frisk frowned as the two scampered off. “... ill,” they repeated, aloud. A soft chuckle met their words.

A short distance away, the ground disturbed itself, and three grinning tubers appeared. “The sick human had one request,” the first Vegetoid spoke, then the others. “To see the flowers from their village. But there was nothing we could do.”

The corridor stretched onwards. Two Loox stood beyond that, each blinking their massive eye. The creatures of Snowdin and Waterfall were next. Snowdrakes, Icecaps, Woshua, Shyren, all stood to tell how Asriel had taken in the human's soul. How they had become one, a single being of incredible power. The child's last request was now within Asriel's power. A human soul and a monster soul together as one was powerful enough to let him pass through the barrier, carrying the child's body with him towards the village they had once lived in. And in the center, Asriel had found a bed of golden flowers, and made to lay down the human's frail body within them. His kindness had been met with screams. The inhabitants saw only a monster holding the body of a dead child. In their fear, they assumed that Asriel had murdered them.

“... a quarter right, if I'm being generous...”

The corridor opened up to one side now. The capital stretched out to Frisk's left. Dozens of buildings, greyish in the cavern's natural light, spread out across the stony ground, dominated by beautiful arches and enormous half-oval windows. Even in their capital city, the monsters seemed determined to keep beauty in their lives.

The story was far from done. Three cotton dummies, each inhabited by a ghost much like Blook, stood in front of them. “The humans attacked him with everything they had,” they recited in succession. “He was struck with blow after blow. Asriel had the power to destroy them all.”

“... we could have...”

The next group was mixed. A huge, owl-like Knight Knight, and a tiny floating Madjick, arms hidden in his cloak and hat covering most of his pointy face. “But...” the knight began. The mage finished. “Asriel did not fight back.” They spoke again in turn. “Clutching the human... Asriel smiled, and walked away.”

The derision in the single cough Frisk heard was palpable.

Frisk had never actually seen the creatures that waited next, save for here. “Final Froggit”, something in their memory told them. “Wounded, Asriel stumbled home. He entered the castle and collapsed. His dust spread across the garden.”

Frisk came to a stop as the crowned frogs leapt away. “... You have something to add.”

“... and?”

“Tell me.” Frisk glanced up as the next group approached them, wanting to continue the story.

These three resembled Whimsun, but helmed and armed and seeming far less frail. Whimsalot, their mind told them. “The kingdom fell into despair. The king and queen had lost two children in one night. The humans had once again taken everything from us.”

Frisk wrapped their arms tightly around themself as a surge of emotion rose from those words. Not their own, but just as deep and bitter. "... Chara," they said aloud. "Only you know the story now."

Chara's voice grated. "... you want to know so badly? You really want to see?"

Frisk nodded, firmly. "What happened to you and Asriel?"

Instead of words, Chara's soul pressed tightly against Frisk's own. Unbidden, the memory rose, the two children sharing in their recollection.

_"... Chara, I..."_

_Chara could barely raise their head. The tiniest of smiles played across their lips. Shreds of yellow petals fluttered from their lips as they spoke. "Asri. C'mon. You know I've wanted this."_

_Asriel couldn't bring himself to raise his own, burying it in the blankets that covered the frail child. "I don't want you to die, Chara... P-please, I... I have to tell them..."_

_Chara's chuckle was weak and hoarse. "There's... no point. Tell them now... and they'll just know you helped... kill their adopted child. How does... that help you...?"_

_Asriel tensed. "N-no, I... th-they'll help you... they'll make you better... Chara, I-I don't care if they punish me! I just want you to stay with me!"_

_Chara coughed, their throat rasping in pain. "... then you know what to do. We... both get what we want this way, Asri..."_

_Asriel's voice was thick with worry. "I... Chara, at least..."_

_Chara smiled a little more. "... I know. I'll see them... not through these eyes, but yours..." Another wracking cough. "Just... close your eyes and wait... Asri... until it's time..."_

_Asriel's hands clutched at the covers. "I-I'm getting Mom... sh-she'll..."_

_"Asri." A single hand clutched weakly in his fur. "This body is dying. Very soon. If you get Toriel, by the time you return, I'll be gone. And it will be too late to carry out our plan."_

_Asriel's head finally raised, fur wet with tears. "Chara... p-please... I-I never should have..."_

_Chara chuckled. "You think... because you shouldn't have... done something, you're... above the consequences? Asri... you helped me do this. It's... too late to regret, now."_

_Asriel's eyes darted about. "Ch-chara, no, it... i-it can't be too late..."_

_Chara coughed roughly again, wincing. "... Asri... look at me."_

_Asriel stared. Warmth danced in Chara's eyes. "Chara... I... I don't understand..."_

_Chara smiled weakly. "... I love you, Asri," they whispered, straining now. "If it weren't... for you... I would have died alone. Now... instead... I can die and... still be with you... forever..."_

_Chara's grip had weakened. Asriel's ears pricked up. "Ch-chara, no, p-please, I..."_

_"... I'm dying, Asri." Chara's voice grew weaker still. "Even... Toriel can't... stop it..." Their hand lost its grip, and Asriel clenched it tightly. "Just like... I always wanted..."_

_Those eyes never quite closed as they fixed on Asriel's own. "Asri..." they murmured, with a long, shivering sigh. A red glow suffused their chest, and the prince's eyes were drawn to it._

_"... Chara... n-no..." Asriel's hands hesitantly released Chara's own, the limb draping limply across their chest as Asriel cupped the glow carefully. Shimmering softly, a beautiful red heart inched its way out into his hands._

_"... Asri," he remembered Chara telling him. "The power humans have that lets our souls linger after death is our determination. But I want to die. I won't have very much determination. You'll have to do it quickly, or my soul will wink away, and you'll lose me and our plan forever."_

_With a shaking sob, Asriel cradled the soul in their hands, pressing it tightly to their own chest. "... Chara... please... don't run away..."_

_Hesitantly, the soul sank beneath his fur and disappeared. Asriel hung his head for a long moment, not even aware as Toriel looked in to check on her sick child... and almost immediately barreled from the room, tears streaming in the air behind her._

_With an effort, Asriel stood. Within, he felt something, a presence within him. A familiar chuckle brushed against his mind, and suddenly he found his arms lifting Chara's limp body from their bed._

_"Well now... I wasn't expecting this..." In his mind, Chara's voice had lost its slow cant, the pain of speaking through a bloody, ragged throat. "Asri... seems this is_ our _body, not just yours. So... mind if I take the lead for just a little bit? You... probably want to just stop having to do anything, don't you..."_

_Asriel made no protest. Not even as Chara moved his body, lifting their corpse from its place in the bed and carrying them on swift, sure steps through the hall of New Home._

_Asgore was in the garden, as always. It had calmed him, to care for it. The king raised his head at the sound of footsteps amid the plants. "Asriel, I..."_

_He saw the bundle in the boy's arms, and stopped. "... Chara... Asriel, why..."_

_Without a word, Chara walked past him, still carrying their former body. Dazed, Asgore stumbled to his feet and trailed after them. Beyond a short corridor lay the barrier... and Asgore, unable to pass it, stared on as if dreaming as Asriel stepped through the magical seal that had imprisoned monsters for centuries._

_"But... it takes one of each..." he found himself saying. "... Asriel... he has Chara's...?"_

_Chara continued onwards, implacable. Asriel could feel their soul surrounding his own now, strong, filling him with a sensation he had never felt before. Through Chara, though, he knew what it was. Their minds overlapped, secrets almost impossible to keep from one another._

_"Chara... why...?"_

_Asriel felt a smile curling across his own lips. "You have my soul now, Asri. You know why. Why I hate them. Why I can't stand to live as one any longer." They paused. "I admit, I'm as surprised as you to find I can move our body. But..."_

_Chara's words trailed off. For a moment, Asriel thought they would lose their grip entirely on their own corpse. Before them, the cavern opened at last. A long ledge ran along the mountain, but before them, the ground fell away to a forest far below. Beyond it stood something no monster had seen in over a hundred years._

_Chara stood still for a long, long moment, feeling the warmth fall on them. "... I'd almost forgotten what it was like... hee... this is your first time, isn't it, Asri?"_

_Asriel's voice was hushed. "... Is that... is that really the sun, Chara?"_

_Chara beamed. "Yes, Asri. That's the sun. It's... beautiful, isn't it?" They smiled. "... You see why we have to finish the plan, right? Then... everyone can feel this..."_

_Asriel stared out at the setting sun, its light warming his fur. "I... Chara, even for that..."_

_Chara smiled. "You're going to be the king someday, Asri. This kind of thing... it's what being the king is all about." They paused. "... anyway, we can worry about the plan later. I don't mind doing the dirty work if you're not sure. First, though... I just want to get this 'me' laid to proper rest... okay?"_

_Asriel nodded. "Is it... far to your village?"_

_Chara scanned the horizon. "... No, I had to climb over the peak to find a place to throw myself in. We're on the other side from there. It should be... hmn." They nodded. "... I'm a little jealous of you, Asri. Having fur like this, it's... so warm, and tickly when the wind touches me. How about... you rest for a while, and let me do the sweaty part of travelling?"_

_Asriel made no sign to stop. Chara continued to move his body for him, striding down over the edge and down the steep slope towards the trees._

_It was perhaps half an hour before they finally found their way to the village. The little settlement was quiet in the dimming twilight. Chara's eyes lit up as they neared the middle of the village. "... see, Asri? It was worth coming this far..."_

_Before them, a massive bed of flowers spread out before them, gleaming a beautiful yellow in the lamps now lit in the homes around. Chara's steps slowed as they neared the bed, taking it in quietly._

_Asriel looked out as well, though the feel of Chara's body against him continued to dampen his spirits. "... Chara... is this where you wanna..." He paused. "... You really want to... leave your body here, of all places...?"_

_Chara nodded slowly. "This was my spot. When I was younger, I could disappear, completely... now, I will one more time..." They raised a hand, the dirt being forced to part in front of them._

_As they stepped to the edge of the grave, a scream split the night. Chara whirled around to see a young girl pointing at them. "M-monster!"_

_Chara's eyes widened. "... and? I'm just here to bury my friend."_

_More humans had appeared in response to the scream. Some of them bore weapons already, grasping at whatever had been close at hand. Many eyes were drawn to the limp human body in Asriel's arms. "Murderer!" the yells roared out. "Trying to conceal your crime, are you?"_

_Chara's eyes narrowed, and they hefted their corpse bodily. "Does this look 'murdered' to you? They were... sick. They died of their illness, in the underground. I came to bury them."_

_An old man emerged from one hut, leaning on a staff. "... You left the barrier. That means you took the human's soul when they died."_

_Chara blanched. "And if I did?" Internally, they tensed. "How did that aging sack of bones outlive_ me _?"_

_The old man pointed with his staff. "Meaning, you stole their soul and absorbed it, just so you could escape your rightful prison! Of course they wouldn't show any signs you'd murdered them for your own gain!"_

_Chara grit their teeth. "... Chara told me about you." They snorted. "Funny. When they were around, you couldn't give less of a damn. But now, here you are, up in arms because you_ think _someone killed them? Are you that eager to hate monsters that even worthless Chara gets to be a martyr?" Those eyes narrowed. "... or are you just that jealous that Asriel Dreemurr took away your favorite little toy?"_

_A man stepped forward, a bow in hand, arrow already nocked. "It's into the dirt with you, monster! The underground's too good for your damnable kind!" He raised the bow, readying himself._

_Chara stepped forward. They barely had a hold on their body now. "No. It's out of the darkness for monsters, forever." Flames erupted from the ground, and a different scream split the night. This one was not fear, but anguish. The smell of burning offal filled the air as the former man collapsed. "... Hmph. He wasn't even determined enough to last an instant." Chara smirked. "... that's fine. I'm sure among all the bastards lined up here, I can find a scant six to claim."_

_Asriel had been in shock the moment the scream rang out. In his mind, 'murderer' still was not a charge he could bring himself to deny. And now, Chara was... "Chara, this... this is your plan? H-how does this make us heroes? Nobody wants this! I'm the prince, I can't just..."_

_Chara laughed. "Nobody has to know! We'll make it so this place was never, ever here. And when we return, we'll just say some adventurers tried to kill us, and we took their souls to help break the barrier." Flames blossomed in the night again as they approached the leader._

_Asriel trembled. "... Ch-chara, no..." Desperately, the boy tried to regain control over his body. Chara's grip remained firm._

_"What? Would you seriously choose these worthless human lives over the freedom of_ your _people, o prince of all monsters?" Chara's voice was biting. "You have my memories now, Asri. You know what happened to me here. How can you seriously defend them?"_

_Asriel lowered his eyes. "... Chara, p-please... W-we could have just... left them alone... We could just... find some humans who were dying, and convince them to help..."_

_Chara groaned. By now they stood directly in front of the old man, and with a single powerful arm lifted them off the ground. "You're always so naive like this, Asri. You have to sacrifice to make people happy. That's what a_ king _does. Like your father. He'd tell you so, if he were here." With a huff, they let go of their old body at last, letting the battered, frail husk crumple to the ground as they forged a knife from pure magic and drove it between the old man's ribs. "... cough it up, you old bastard... stubborn thing like you would have plenty of determination..."_

_As Chara clasped the old man's soul in one hand, Asriel tensed. "... no. I... I don't care. Y-you're... you're wrong, Chara!"_

_Chara blinked. The world seemed to blur and vanish around them. The aging soul slipped out of their fingers, and Chara's old body returned to their grip. Suddenly, the scream of "Monster!" split the night again._

_Chara looked around. The humans who had attacked them were only just now emerging from their homes. Even the man with the bow, who Chara had seen and smelled being burned alive, stood before them. "What..."_

_Chara tried to move, to strike out with their magic. Nothing happened. Chara could feel a tight sensation wrap itself around their very soul._

_"... no." The voice was hesitant, but unyielding. "Chara, no..."_

_Chara blinked. "... Asri...?" They tensed. "Let go... let me... I have to..."_

_Asriel shivered. "No. This... this is my body too, Chara. And... and I..." Slowly, Asriel's body stood. Not by Chara's will, but by the other soul's. "I..."_

_Slowly, not heeding the screams, Asriel stepped forward, into the flower bed. Again, and again. Even the humans paused in their preparations to watch as the prince stepped to the center of the flowers._

_"... I..." The boy turned, face tense, soul still clinging tightly to Chara's. "I will not fight. I am not here to take a life."_

_The old man pointed with his staff. "You passed the barrier. You stole that child's soul!"_

_Asriel's eyes narrowed. "They made a gift of it to me. They begged me to take it when they died." He paused, looking at the flowers all around him. "... This is Chara. Do you even remember that name, humans? And I... I am Asriel Dreemurr. I am the son of Asgore Dreemurr, the king of all monsters. And we have shown Chara more kindness than this entire village ever did."_

_Slowly, he began to walk again, out of the flowers this time. "... and you don't deserve to have my sibling buried here. I'm taking Chara home now. To their_ real _home."_

_Pain blossomed in Asriel's shoulder, and they stumbled. The closest human had let fly their arrow, and was already nocking another. For a moment, Asriel's hand raised, and fire flickered, ghost-like, in the air around him. But slowly, that hand lowered. "... Chara, no."_

_"Asri..." Chara struggled in their brother's embrace, struggling to regain control of their body. Somehow, though, they could not. "They're trying to kill us, Asri. We... we have to fight back now..."_

_Asriel shook their head. Pain lanced across their other arm this time, a shower of small rocks being flung. "We don't have to, Chara. We're... strong. You told me yourself... a monster soul and a human soul together would have unimaginable power..."_

_Chara blanched. "And that's exactly why we need to use that power! Asri, this is self-defense, let's at least pick six and take their souls back with us..."_

_Asriel shook their head, slowly emerging from the flowers. "Chara... no. What would be the point? If we breach the barrier like that... the humans will hate us. They'll see a monster who came out just to steal six souls and open the path for their people to come and attack. The war... it'll start all over again..."_

_Chara shivered. "... so what if it does? With seven, we'd be invincible. We'd destroy anyone who dared attack us. You're the prince, Asri... you have to..."_

_Asriel tensed as sticks cracked across his back. "... it's because I'm the prince... that I can't..."_

_Chara struggled harder, desperate now to regain control. "... Asri... Asri, let me go! Let me use our power... let me kill these bastards... They're hurting us, Asri! They've done nothing but hurt us! Nobody will miss them!"_

_Asriel shivered. Slow steps brought them through the village, even as sticks cracked and stones crashed against him. Blades tore at his robes, leaving behind shallow cuts beneath. Still, he walked slowly on._

_Chara continued their struggles, even as the embrace around their soul tightened. "Asri! Asri, stop it! Let me go! They want to kill us, we have to fight!"_

_Asriel sniffled. "Chara... I said no..." Another arrow whistled through the air, grazing their arm. "... I saw it. What you felt as you used our power. I... I won't let you do that." He paused. "... I don't want you to kill anyone, Chara. It's... it's not right. It's not good for you. It won't help you."_

_Chara blanched. "Then... you need to... Asri, it's kill or be killed, now! I'm wound tight around your soul, Asri, I can feel what this is doing to you!"_

_Asriel's pace quickened, just a little. Holding Chara's body tightly, he made his way to the end of the village, to the start of the forest._

_"Bring that child back here!" a voice demanded. Asriel turned, tears running down his face, his jaw set. "Bring them back!" the demand repeated._

_Asriel took a slow breath. "... You don't even know their full name."_

_The humans had no response to him. Asriel continued. "Their name is... is Chara Dreemurr. And I'm taking them home, to their family, to be buried surrounded by the people who loved them!"_

_Asriel didn't bother with the single arrow someone in the crowd loosed as he turned and vanished among the trees. Behind him, a confused crowd of humans stood. With the monster no longer in their sight, some of them began to question just why they had attacked to begin with. Any hunter knows a wounded beast is the most violent and fearsome of prey, and yet this child-like being had come into their village, and left without raising a hand against them. Perhaps, in time, this idea might come to change the upper world._

_Asriel and Chara knew not, and cared not. Still straining to hold his control, Asriel moved as fast as he dared through the dark trees. Chara was trembling within. "Asri, just... please. Let me go back. Let me..."_

_Asriel shook his head. "Chara, no. I... I'm not going to let you kill people. I just can't..."_

_Chara shuddered. "But what... what about the plan? Are we seriously going home empty-handed?"_

_Asriel smiled weakly. "... not empty-handed, no..." They looked down._

_Through Asriel's eyes, Chara blinked as they saw tiny black shapes clinging to Asriel's fur and Chara's hair. "... seeds...? Asri... don't tell me you went through the whole patch and back just for..."_

_Asriel giggled softly. "You wanted to see the flowers, Chara. We'll... bring them back down with us. Even if they don't like our garden, I bet old man Gaster can figure out a way to grow them underground. And..."_

_Chara tensed. "But... the monsters..."_

_Asriel shifted. "... Mom would never accept that. Killing humans, whatever the reason, just to gain something for ourselves? That's not what a prince... what a king should do..."_

_Chara groaned. "... Asri, you're impossible, you know that? I'm seriously not talking to you for like a week once we get home."_

_Asriel blinked. "... once we get home?"_

_Chara huffed. "I told you, Asri. I don't have much determination of my own. The whole reason we're still alive right now is because of yours. But if I go leaving you all alone right now, I know you'd crumble like one of dad's attempts at pie-making."_

_Asriel nodded slowly. "... you almost never call him dad."_

_Chara's voice was quiet, even in Asriel's mind. "... you said my last name was... Dreemurr..."_

_Asriel just smiled at that. It was another long few minutes of travel before Chara spoke up again. "Well, you win, prince. Get us home so mom can patch us up, and we can work on a new plan to gather six more souls."_

_Asriel lit up. "Y-yeah. And you'll see. Mom patched you up after you fell... I'm sure she can fix us right up." He bit his lip. "... she's gonna be so worried though..."_

_Chara chuckled. "... you're always such an idiot, Asri. But just because I'm in your head now doesn't mean I can't keep bailing you out of the things you'd_ have _to be such a giant idiot to get into, got it?"_

_Asriel nodded. "I'm sorry, Chara..."_

_Chara laughed. "Asri, relax. If it really bothered me how much of an idiot you are sometimes, I would never have entrusted my soul to you. You're just... so naive, so focused on being nice... I really should've known this part of the plan would never have worked."_

_Asriel had reached the ledge now, climbing carefully up. "I'm still sorry. I mean, after everything you went through for it..."_

_Chara kept on laughing. "The plan was to get me in your head, Asri. I figured I'd be able to influence you from there and guide you into what we needed to do to open the barrier. But, here I am._ This _is what I went through everything for, Asri. To be here, with you."_

_Asriel smiled, hesitantly stepping through the archway and into the caverns. "... I feel strange, Chara."_

_Chara tensed. "... yeah, you... you took a lot of hits. We should... probably pick up the pace." Deep inside, Chara could feel something within them trembling, shaking... and instinctively they clutched their soul tightly around it._

_Asriel's steps grew only slower as he made his way down the tunnel and passed through the barrier again. "Chara... I..."_

_Chara held tighter. "No words. We need mom."_

_Asriel stumbled through the long hallway beyond the barrier and into the garden. They smiled quietly as they looked over it. "... home..."_

_"New Home," Chara corrected automatically. "You've known him longer, is dad really that terrible at naming things?"_

_Asriel chuckled weakly. "Let's... rest here, Chara. I'm sure dad will be by soon and he'll bring mom to heal us..."_

_They sat a long moment, Asriel kneeling in the midst of the garden. "... hey, Chara? When mom heals us... we should go open our presents. Remember those?"_

_Chara blinked. "Oh... yeah, we never really... got to, what with my plan..."_

_Asriel nodded. "Well... once dad comes in and finds mom, we can get her to heal us, and... and we'll..."_

_The shaking was worse now, the object of Chara's attentions shifting and sliding past itself. Chara clung to it. "Don't you_ dare _, Asri... Stay determined, damn it! I..." With a sudden surge, Chara took control from Asriel one last time. Aloud, they screamed. "Mom! I'm hurt! P-please, quick!"_

_Asriel's voice sounded strangely fuzzy in Chara's mind now. "I'm... sorry, Chara... I-I helped kill you, and... and now, I..."_

_"Asri, just hold on..."_

_"I... deserve..."_

_"Damnit, Asriel Dreemurr, if you leave me now I'll never forgive you!"_

_"... Chara, I..."_

_Within, Chara felt a snapping, a shattering. The bottom dropped out of their world, and what they had clung to seemed to vanish from their grip. For a moment, every fiber of their body seemed to float away in a different direction. Then, they had no body at all._

_"_ _ASRI!"_

_It was a long time before Chara was able to comprehend what had happened to them. The voice, the presence, that for a few blissful hours they had shared everything with, had vanished. Fine white dust littered the ground. For the second time that evening, Toriel's voice echoed in every corner of the underground._

_That night, hope died in the hearts of monsters. And in Chara's, who had barely known hope to begin with, it left them adrift with almost nothing. Just a faint memory in their mind._

_"You can't give up now... Chara! You have to stay determined!"_

Frisk slowly opened their eyes, a hand against their heart. There was... nothing to say.

Or, on reflection, there was at least something to ask. "... Why did you tell him you don't have much determination?"

Chara's voice was quiet. "It was true when I said it. Ironically, it was when I was finally about to die that I stopped wanting it so badly. I... remembered Asgore's words, as I was about to let go... and I found that I just couldn't..."

Frisk said nothing. Slowly, they resumed their walk along the path through the capital.

Ahead, the story resumed. Astigmatism stood waiting, their eye-like mouths closing to reveal their real faces. "The king decided it was time to end our suffering. Every human who falls down here must die. With enough souls, we can shatter the barrier forever."

Frisk knew, of course. That was Asgore's plan. That was what they had come to stop.

Moldsmal, Loox, Migosp. The next three were familiar, monsters they had met many times in the ruins. Then, they had allowed themself to tarry. This time, they would not. "It's not long now," Loox said. Then all three spoke in unison.

"King Asgore will let us go."

"King Asgore will give us hope."

"King Asgore will save us all."

"... hope," Frisk murmured to themself. "... Does he... really call this hope?"

Hotland monsters, this time, a Pyrope leading them. "You should be smiling too," it admonished, flame-like head bouncing atop the coil of rope beneath. Behind, the volcano-like Vulkin spoke up. "Aren't you excited? Aren't you happy?"

"... sounds an awful lot like it is," Chara commented.

As the castle loomed ahead, Frisk's tired feet carrying them along the passage, a final messenger approached. The lone Froggit looked up at Frisk, blinking. "You're going to be free," it said.

Frisk moved forward as it made to leave, and embraced it. "I'll never do what I'd have to do to be free," they said, quietly. "You're so silly. Don't you all realize who I am?"

The Froggit tilted its head, and hopped quietly away. Chara laughed bitterly. "Not a thought in their heads. Living on nothing but the 'hope' of killing seven children so they can kill the rest of humanity."

"And here I thought you liked that plan," Frisk said simply, and stretched. The castle loomed ahead, and they stepped quietly inside.

They knew the place before the sight even registered in their brain. Warm yellows and muted reds tiled the expansive corridor before them, huge pillars standing in deep shadow. The royal insignia, the Delta Rune, marked the doorway they had just entered, as well as the high stained windows that looked out over the city. The "Last Corridor", as it had always occurred to them to call it.

Knowing what lay ahead, Frisk paused. For a long moment, they could not bring themselves to walk.

Bells sounded in the air as Frisk finally stepped forward. Ahead, in the middle of the room, a silhouette that was too familiar for the shadows to truly hide.

"So you finally made it," the figure spoke, in a voice far unlike the person Frisk knew them to be. "The end of your journey is at hand. In a few moments, you will meet the king. Together... you will determine the future of this world."

The figure paused. "That's then. Now. You will be judged. You will be judged for your every action."

"Every?" Chara snickered in Frisk's mind. "Well, I can only imagine how a judgment of _every_ action you've made will go."

The figure was still speaking, heedless of the person only Frisk knew still existed. "You will be judged for every EXP you've earned. What's EXP? It's an acronym."

Chara paused. "... are you seriously listening to this crap? You heard it already."

Frisk just smiled lightly. "I'll consider it a refresher course."

"It stands for 'execution points'," the figure intoned. "A way to quantify the pain you have inflicted on others. When you kill someone, your EXP increases. When you have enough EXP, your LOVE increases."

Chara snickered. "And it feels just so lovely to feel it gain and gain..."

"LOVE, too, is an acronym. It stands for 'Level Of ViolencE'. A way of measuring someone's capacity to hurt."

Another snicker. "And hurt you did. You hurt them plenty."

Frisk ignored Chara's words, and listened. "The more you kill, the easier it becomes to distance yourself. The more you distance yourself, the less you will hurt. The more easily you can bring yourself to hurt others."

Frisk nodded. "And I..."

The figure's voice changed. It was one Frisk knew well, had known they would hear in this place. "... but you. you never gained any LOVE."

Chara's laughter abruptly stopped. "... what."

Frisk's eyes widened gently. "But... I..."

The figure chuckled. "'course, that doesn't mean you're completely innocent or naive. just that you kept a certain tenderness in your heart. no matter the hardships or struggles you faced... you strived to do the right thing."

Chara's voice was strained. "... you... don't tell me you..." They paused. "You... you reset _our_ progress? Everything we had gained? Everything I taught you how to be?"

Frisk's eyes watered, as the voice continued. Pale white eyes regarded them from the shadows. "you refused to hurt anyone. even when you ran away, you did it with a smile."

Frisk stepped forward, hand clutching their chest. "... but... but what about..."

The figure smiled, as they always had. "you never gained LOVE, but you gained love. does that make sense? maybe not."

Frisk beamed quietly. "... No, it... it does... I just don't understand why..."

The figure paused. "now. you're about to face the greatest challenge of your entire journey. your actions here... will determine the fate of the entire world."

Chara snorted. "You choose poorly, monster."

"if you refuse to fight... asgore will take your soul and destroy humanity. but if you kill asgore and go home... monsters will remain trapped underground. what will you do?"

"Yes. What _will_ you do, oh holy chosen one?" Chara's voice was more bitter than usual.

Frisk smiled. "... oh, I have a plan for Mr. Dad Guy."

Chara made a noise not unlike a cat, and fell silent. The figure continued. "well, if i were you, i would have thrown in the towel by now. but you didn't get this far by giving up, did you? that's right. you have something called 'determination'."

Frisk nodded. "It's why I'm alive at all."

The figure nodded. "so as long as you hold on... so as long as you do what's in your heart... i believe you can do the right thing."

Frisk stepped forward, and took sudden hold of the figure's hand. Icier even than the chill of death, but Frisk just smiled. "Do you really think so? Sans, I... I can't honestly claim to have never..."

Sans winked lightly. "after last time... i never honestly thought i would be standing here, saying that to you. but, here you are. you're different, Frisk. this time you honestly stand behind what you're doing."

Frisk tensed. "But... Sans, I..."

Sans' eyes softened. "consider it water under the bridge. i honestly believe what i said. your determination... you'll use it to do what you know in your heart is right. i wish i could say the same for asgore."

Frisk nodded quietly. "I... think I may have a way. It may not be the best solution, but..."

Sans winked. "hey, now. no spoilers. i have it bad enough with the stuff i know, y'know? i'll be rooting for you."

Frisk clung tightly to Sans for a long moment. "... I'm so sorry, Sans..."

Sans held the child lightly against himself. "the last time you were here... well, i won't justify it with a description. but look at you now, frisk. even monsters you genuinely dislike... even monsters who genuinely wanted to kill you... you went out of your way to avoid harming people. that's what you believe is right."

Frisk looked up. "... Sans. Tell me what you honestly believe. Not as some shadowy judge... just as my friend, Sans the skeleton."

Sans chuckled. "me? i'm nobody important, frisk. but, if you insist?" He paused. "... i'm proud of you, frisk. really and truly, i am."

Frisk started to cry softly, resting against Sans' jacket. The skeleton chuckled. "look, frisk... i gotta do this official-like, okay? think of it like my other job. plus, you've got somewhere you need to be, right?"

Reluctantly, Frisk drew back and wiped their eyes. Sans cleared his throat. "alright. we're all counting on you, kid. good luck."

Frisk nodded, standing firm now. Sans gave a wink. "i mean it. proud of you, frisk." The light seemed to shift, and suddenly Sans was gone.

 


End file.
